Angling for that prized catch

It was during the overs that immediately followed today’s luncheon break that pressing cricket issues were foremost in the minds of Australia’s two most influential public office holders.

In the Channel Nine commentary box, Prime Minister Tony Abbott was diplomatically fending off suggestions from Mark Taylor that at least some portion of Kirribilli House be made available to the former national captain for use as a handy Harbour-side mooring spot for his beloved tinnie.

Not far to the Prime Minister’s right – geographically as opposed to politically – Michael Clarke, Taylor’s successor three times removed, was tuned into the whisper that percolated the 40,000-plus day one crowd that his vice-captain Brad Haddin was imminently planning to hang the ‘gone fishing’ sign on his career.

And given that both men’s eye line was simultaneously trained on the hastening demise of George Bailey’s Test career while these ruminations were taking place, it’s not unreasonable to surmise that it was Clarke who had the bigger serve on his plate.

That’s because, with all due respect to Taylor’s need for ready access to his trusty vessel when he’s drowning a few worms off Cremorne Point, Australia’s hopes of mixing it with South Africa’s top-line bowling attack in the next Test battle seem to weigh increasingly heavily on Haddin’s shoulders.

The speculation about the 36-year-old’s playing future beyond the current Test was sparked by former Test batsman Greg Blewett, who claimed on radio that he was privy to suggestions that Haddin planned to hang up his gloves – both batting and keeping – at game’s end.

As is the way with scuttlebutt, it gained currency with a retrospective realisation that Haddin was accompanied by his daughter, Mia – whose battle with cancer led to Haddin’s withdrawal from international cricket more than a year ago – when the pre-match anthem ceremony took place this morning.

Haddin’s manager claimed there was nothing to the speculative yarn.

Bemused team officials and close friends of the vice-captain added that it was news to them.

And while all this was taking place, the man himself was doing what he has done so often since reclaiming his place in the international spotlight – rescuing his country from a dire predicament that so many who came before him had been unable or unwilling to allay.

That man being Haddin. Although the Prime Minister might well have claimed similar kudos had the conversation strayed beyond recreational angling.

Such was the level of angst this off-field debate was creating, Clarke took the unusual step of appearing on the team’s dressing room balcony, rather like the Holy Father overlooking St Peter’s Square, to communicate his message directly to an engrossed television audience.

No, he intonated via a series of full body semaphore signals prompted by questions from Shane Warne in the Nine box that were transmitted via an earpiece carrying the commentary feed, there was no truth to the retirement talk and ‘yes’, Haddin planned to continue through the upcoming South Africa series and beyond.

On the strength of the numbers that Haddin again accumulated today, that message heralds cause for celebration.

In reaching his fifth score of 50 in the first innings of as many Tests, he became the first player since specialist opener Keith Stackpole in 1972 to record a half-century in every match of an Ashes series.

He is also now Australia’s leading first innings runs scorer of this campaign.

It’s as much a testament to the rich vein of form he continues to productively mine as an indictment on the lack of input from some of his better-credentialed batting colleagues, which has seen Australia average barely 140 from the top half of their order in the first innings of these five Ashes Tests.

Which is why his skill, combativeness and reliability will be so sorely needed against the world’s second-best – some might justifiably argue premier – pace attack in South Africa.

Clarke’s concern, and one that must now be shared by the national selectors, is that there are only so many times the Test top order can fail before changes need to be made, regardless of how long a winning streak it cobbles together.

Today, for the fourth time in five Tests, Australia’s first innings hung desperately in the balance with the half the team – the half that gets paid to score runs – once again kicking back in the dressing room listening to the TV coverage with less than 150 on the board.

Among them was Bailey, who took an agonising 40 minutes to make his way to the crease – with Shane Watson dismissed on the ball prior to lunch – before spending an equally painful 11 minutes in occupation before he was once more caught nicking to the slips cordon.

In that time he had advanced his career Test aggregate by one to 137 runs from seven innings, at an underwhelming average of less than 23.

Unless he can peel off an innings of meaning against current trends and consensus belief, Bailey must be on the cusp of being cut from the South Africa Test touring party to be announced later this month.

Tasmania top-order batsman Alex Doolan is clearly a new favourite of the selectors, having been brought into the fold as cover for Shane Watson in this Test and invited to stay on to benefit from extra tutelage from Australia’s batting coaches rather than return to slash and whack of the Big Bash League.

Of course, should the panel want to add a specialist No.6 with Test experience, they need look no further than the current Bupa Sheffield Shield runs scoring list.

Sitting atop that pile is Marcus North, a veteran competitor who has compiled three centuries and two 50s in the first-class arena this summer.

Adding to the fact that North scored a Test century on debut five years ago – coincidentally against South Africa in Johannesburg – is the notion that his five Test hundreds, indeed his 1150 Test runs at an average of more than 37, have all been scored batting at No.6.

Having that sort of buttress between the flaky top order and the tail might do more than any Prime Ministerial prognostications or balcony utterances to successfully prolong Haddin’s late-blossoming Test career.